California Marriage Records

How to Find California Marriage Records

California Marriage Records

Marriage Records in California

Marriage records contain basic information about the married couple. This information includes the names of the two individuals, the date of the marriage, and the place of marriage. Some marriage records will also include the names of the mothers and fathers of the couple. Additionally, some records contain the names of the official witnesses to the marriage. Some governmental marriage records contain the maiden names of the mothers as well as the place of residence of the married couple.

A marriage record should not be confused with any of the following documents: a marriage license, a marriage announcement, or a marriage index. The marriage license is the legal document that was issued to the couple that was married. The marriage announcement is the public listing of the wedding, in most cases, in a published newspaper.

A marriage index is simply a list of the marriages within a specific location. Typically, such an index includes the names of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage, the name of the county in which the marriage occurred, and either the file number of the license or the volume and page name for a register listing as well as the location of the marriage record.

In California, marriage records after 1905 can be obtained the Office of Vital Records. However, currently, a request for marriage records can take up to two to three years to be processed. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact the County Recorder at the local county office where the marriage took place.

If you decide to submit your request to the Office of Vital Records, then you will need to submit form 113A. This form can be obtained using the following link: http://www.dhs.ca.gov/publications/forms/pdf/vs113a.pdf. A thirteen dollar fee payable by a check made out to the Office of Vital Records is required for each application. A separate application form must be submitted for each requested marriage record.

Requests should be mailed to the following address:
California Department of Health Services
Office of Vital Records-MS. 5103
P. O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410

In California, marriage records prior to 1905 can only be obtained from the local county courthouse office. As stated earlier, marriage records after 1905 may also be obtained from the local county. For a successful search for the marriage records that you are trying to locate for any year, follow these steps:
1. Print or type each name and address clearly to avoid confusion. This includes the full name of both the husband and the wife. The maiden name should be included for the wife. Include nicknames and alternate spellings that may have been used, but list them as such.
2. Keep your request brief and to the point.
3. Limit your request to one marriage record.
4. Include the full address of the individuals at the time of the marriage, including street, city or town, and state. If you know the county in which the marriage took place, include that as well.
5. Include the date that the marriage occurred. If you do not know the date, include a time frame for the search. Generally, it is best to specify a short span of years for an unknown year search. You can always expand the number of years that you search, and a shorter span will lead to a shorter search. You can expect to pay an additional fee for searches such as this that require more effort.
6. Include contact information where you can be reached in the event that more information is required. Include a daytime telephone number, fax number, or an e-mail address.
7. Include your relationship to the individuals listed in your search request.
8. Include the reason for your request.
9. Print your name clearly and sign your request. Some states may also require additional identifying information on you as well. Therefore, you may want to include your driver�s license number.
10. Include a SASE, or self addressed stamped envelope with your request for a speedier delivery.
11. Include the date that you mail your request with your correspondence.

To obtain a copy of a marriage record, contact the County Recorder in the specific county office where the marriage license was issued. Remember to provide as much accurate information as you have available on the subject of the search, sufficient contact information for yourself, and the required fee. Providing the necessary information will speed the process up considerably.

A list of the local county courthouse addresses and telephone numbers for is provided below in alphabetical order.

Alameda County
Alameda County Recorder
1106 Madison Street, 1st Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Telephone: (510) 272-6362
(510) 272-5069 for credit card orders.

Alpine County
Alpine County Recorder
P. O. Box 217
Markleeville, CA 96120-0217
Fax: (530) 694-2286

Amador County
Amador County Recorder
500 Argonaut Lane
Jackson, CA 95642-2308
Telephone: (209) 223-6468

Butte County
Butte County Recorder
25 County Center Drive
Oroville, CA 95965-3316
Telephone: (530) 538-7691

Calaveras County
Calaveras County Recorder
Government Center
891 Mountain Ranch Road
San Andreas, CA 95249
Telephone: (209) 754-6372

Colusa County
Colusa County Recorder
546 Jay St.
Colusa, CA 95932-2491
Telephone: (530) 458-0500

Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County Recorder
730 Las Juntus Box 350
Martinez, CA 94553-1233
Telephone: (925) 646-2365

Del Norte County
Del Norte County Recorder
981 H Street
Crescent City, CA 95531
Telephone: (707) 464-7216

El Dorado County
El Dorado County Recorder
360 Fair Lane
Placerville, CA 95667
Telephone: (530) 621-5490

Fresno County
Fresno County Recorder
Hall of Records
2281 Tulare Street, Room 303
Fresno, CA 93721
Telephone: (559) 488-3471 (Information)
(559) 488-3476

Glenn County
Glenn County Recorder
526 W. Sycamore St.
Willows, CA 95988-0391
Telephone: (530) 934-6412

Humboldt County
Humboldt County Recorder
825 Fifth Street Room Fifth floor
Eureka, CA 95501
Telephone: (707) 445-7382

Imperial County
Imperial County Recorder
940 Main St, Room 206
El Centro, CA 92243
Telephone: (760) 339-4272

Inyo County
Inyo County Recorder
168 North Edwards Street
Independence, CA 93526
Telephone: (760) 878-0222

Kern County
Kern County Recorder
Hall of Records
1655 Chester Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Telephone: (661) 868-6400

Kings County
Kings County Recorder
1400 West Lacey Blvd
Hanford, CA 93230-5905
Telephone: (559) 582-3211

Lake County
Lake County Recorder
255 N. Forbes St.
Lakeport, CA 95453-4731
Telephone: (707) 263-2293

Lassen County
Lassen County Recorder
220 S. Lassen St. Suite 5
Susanville, CA 96130-4324
Telephone: (530) 251-8234

Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County Recorder
12400 East Imperial Highway
Room1002
Los Angeles, CA 90053-0120
562-462-2137

Madera County
Madera County Recorder
209 W. Yosemite Ave.
Madera, CA 93637-3534
Telephone: (209) 675-7724

Marin County
Marin County Recorder
3501 Civic Center Dr, Room 208
San Rafael, CA 94903
Telephone: (415) 499-7198

Mariposa County
Mariposa County Recorder
4982 10th Street
P O Box 35
Mariposa, CA 95338
Telephone: (209) 966-2332

Mendocino County
Mendocino County Recorder
501 Low Gap Road #1020
Ukiah, CA 95482
Telephone: (707) 463-4376

Merced County
Merced County Recorder
2222 M Street
Merced, CA 95340-3729
Telephone:(209) 385-7627

Modoc County
Modoc County Recorder
204 Court Street Room 107
Alturas, CA 96101-4026
Telephone: (530) 233-6205

Mono County
Mono County Recorder
P.O. Box 237
83 Main Street
Bridgeport, CA 93517-0537
Telephone: (760) 932-5530

Monterey County
Monterey County Recorder
P.O. Box 29
Salinas, CA 93902-0029
Telephone: (408) 755-5041

Napa County
Napa County Recorder
900 Coombs St, Room 116
Napa, CA 94559
Telephone: (707) 253-4246

Nevada County
Nevada County Recorder
Rood Center Administration Bldg
950 Maidu Avenue
Nevada City, CA 95959
Telephone: (530) 265-1221

Orange County
Orange County Recorder
12 Civic Center Plaza, Room 106
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Telephone: (714) 834-2248

Placer County
Placer County Recorder
2954 Richardson Drive
Auburn, CA 95603
Telephone: (530) 886-5600

Plumas County
Plumas County Recorder
520 Main Street Room 102
Quincy, CA 95971-9366
Telephone: (530) 283-6218

Riverside County
Riverside County Recorder
2724 Gateway Drive
P.O. Box 751
Riverside, CA 92502-0751
Telephone: (909) 486-7000

Sacramento County
Sacramento County Recorder
P.O. Box 839
Sacramento, CA 95812-0839
916-874-6334

San Benito County
San Benito County Recorder
440 5th St., Room 206
Hollister, CA 95023-3843
Telephone: (408) 637-3786

San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County Recorder
222 W. Hospitality Lane
San Bernardino, CA 92415
Telephone: (909) 387-8314

San Diego County
San Diego County Recorder
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 260
P.O. Box 1750
San Diego, CA 92112
Telephone: (619) 237-0502

San Francisco County Recorder
City Hall Room 190
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (415) 554-4176

San Joaquin County
San Joaquin County Recorder
6 th South El Dorado
P.O. Box 1968
Stockton, CA 95201
Telephone: (209) 468-3939

San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County Recorder
1144 Monterey Street, Suite C
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Telephone: (805) 781-5080

San Mateo County
San Mateo County Recorder
555 County Center 1st floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
Telephone: (650) 363-4500

Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County Recorder
1100 Anacampa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
Telephone: (805) 568-2250

Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Recorder
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Telephone: (408) 299-2481

Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Recorder
701 Ocean Street, Room 230
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Telephone: (831) 454-2800

Shasta County
Shasta County Recorder
1500 Court Street, Room 102
Redding, CA 96001
Telephone: (530) 225-5671

Sierra County
Sierra County Recorder
P.O. Box D
Downieville, CA 95936-9999
Telephone: (530) 289-3295

Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County Recorder
311 4th Street
P.O. Box 8
Yreka, CA 96097-9910
Telephone: (530) 842-8065
Fax (530) 842-8077

Solano County
Solano County Recorder
701 Texas St.
Fairfield, CA 94533
Telephone: (707) 421-6293

Sonoma County
Sonoma County Recorder
2300 County Center Drive Suite B177
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Telephone: (707) 565-2645

Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County Recorder
1201 I Street, Suite 101
Modesto, CA 95354
Telephone: (209) 525-5251

Sutter County
Sutter County Recorder
433 Second Street
P. O. Box 1555
Yuba City, CA 95991-5524
Telephone: (530) 822-7134

Tehama County
Tehama County Recorder
P.O. Box 250
Red Bluff, CA 96080-0250
Telephone: (530) 527-3350

Trinity County
Trinity County Recorder
101 Court Street
Weaverville, CA 96093
Telephone: (530) 623-1215

Tulare County
Tulare County Recorder
221 South Mooney Blvd, Room 105
Visalia, CA 93291
Telephone: (559) 733-6419

Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County Recorder
2 South Green St.
Sonora, CA 95370-4679
Telephone: (209) 533-5531

Ventura County
Ventura County Recorder
County Government Center in Ventura
Hall of Administration, Main Plaza
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009-1260
Telephone: (805) 654-2295

Yolo County
Yolo County Recorder
625 Court Street, Room 105
P.O. Box 1130
Woodland, CA 95695
Telephone: (530) 666-8130

Yuba County
Yuba County Clerk
915 8th St.
Marysville, CA 95901
Telephone: (530) 749-7850